Young teenagers, especially boys, who participated in organized sports between the ages of 6 and 10 are less likely to defy parents, teachers and other authority figures, according to a new study by researchers in Canada and Italy.
“Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) is often underdiagnosed and can coexist with other developmental disorders,” said study lead author Matteo Privitera, a doctoral student at the University of Pavia (UofP), supervised by Linda Pagani, professor at Université de Montréal’s School of Psycho-Education.
Symptoms of the disorder include persistent patterns of irritability, contempt, and hostility toward authority figures. The disorder is overrepresented in boys and often accompanies other neurodevelopmental disorders such as ADHD and learning disabilities.”
Matteo Privitera, lead author of the study
Importantly, “these behaviors can affect learning, relationships and long-term mental health,” he added. “In our study, we wanted to look at the symptoms and try to identify accessible, community-based strategies that encourage more adaptive behavior in children.”
Privitera and his research team looked at data from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development, a population-based cohort of children born in 1997 or 1998 whose data is edited by Institut de la statistique du Québec.
The study focused on 1,492 boys and girls who participated in organized extracurricular sports between the ages of 6 and 10. At ages 10 and 12, the same children self-reported symptoms of oppositional-defiant behavior.
These sports included any under the supervision of an adult (coach or instructor), structured according to established rules, practiced in a team and involving a competitive element. Factors such as family income, maternal education, and child behavioral profiles were taken into account and their influence accounted for in the analyses.
Fewer symptoms in boys
“Boys who consistently participated in organized sports showed significantly fewer oppositional-defiant symptoms at both ages compared to boys with low or inconsistent participation,” Privitera said. “Sports can serve as a natural and influential context for learning self-regulation, cooperation and respect for rules.”
The research team, which included UdeM doctoral candidates Kianoush Harandian and UofP professors Luca Correale and Laura Fusar-Poli, used conservative longitudinal statistical procedures to estimate potential associations while adjusting for early childhood behavioral symptoms and family background.
No significant associations were found between sports and ODD for girls. This was not surprising, given that boys generally show more oppositional behavior in middle childhood, the researchers said.
“Our findings support the idea that structured extracurricular activities can promote behavioral resilience,” Harandian said. “Sports provide a supervised and socially engaging environment that can help boys internalize adaptive norms of behavior.”
The study has implications for public health and education policies, Pagani added.
“Encouraging sustained participation in sports in middle childhood can reduce the burden of disruptive behavior disorders and support long-term well-being,” he said. “It’s a simple, workable strategy with benefits for families, schools and communities.”
